In The Witcher, silver swords are used primarily against monsters as they reportedly have little effect on humans and nonhumans. Unlike the steel, meteorite and rune swords in the game, these can not be bought or sold.

Given to Geralt at the beginning of Chapter II to fight The Beast of the Sewers. A silver sword is one of the two main tools of the witcher. It is a delicate blade only used against creatures who are vulnerable to silver, such as the undead and most types of monsters. It is light enough to be wielded in only one hand, leaving the other hand free for another weapon or for the casting of Signs.

The witcher's silver blade actually has a steel core which is plated with a thick layer of silver which is lethal to magical beasts. This weapon was made specifically for slaying monsters born of magic, those which can not be hurt with common steel weapons.